Sapphires are an LEDs best friend

Sumitomo Chemical and Samsung LED have announced a joint venture in South Korea for R&D, manufacturing and sale of sapphire substrates for LEDs. This is clearly in response to the demand for sapphire substrates driven by growth in the market for LEDs in LCD TV backlights, interior lighting and automobile applications. Around five organisations currently control 90% of the global supply of sapphire ingots and Samsung LED wants to secure its supply as global demand rises.